Building a Future You Without Overhauling Your Life

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

Over the years, especially for me, I’ve found that new Year’s resolutions can often feel like a
setup for failure; at the start of each year, we create grand plans to reinvent
ourselves—wake up at 5 AM, hit the gym daily, learn a new skill—only to abandon them
within a week, two weeks if I’m lucky. This year, I have decided to look at alternative ways
to approach 2025. This year, my prospectus for the new year is what I would like to call
“lazy”, but it is actually a method that focuses on small, realistic steps that instead have a bit
more respect for my capabilities, whilst still looking to improve them.

Think of your prospectus as a vision board that meets a project plan. Instead of rigid goals or
resolutions, a prospectus is a flexible outline of what you’d like your life to look like over the
next year. It’s designed for gradual progress and tailored to work with (and not against) your
already established habits. The key for this that I’ve found over the years is to keep your
goals low-pressure and adaptable. You could start this by identifying your minimum effort
wins. Sometimes bigger goals can fail because they require too much upfront effort. Instead,
focus on smaller changes that create noticeable improvements. For example, you could
swap an unhealthy snack for a slightly better alternative, or remember to drink water before
your coffee in the morning to increase your water intake. Or you could tidy a messy part of
your room before you leave for your lectures These small actions build momentum and
confidence without overwhelming you, and will definitely become more effective in the long
run.

I would say to also forget about fancy planners and journals when it comes to meeting your
goals for the new year. Instead, using a simpler system, such as a calendar to mark off days
when you did something that aligns with your long-term goals, or your notes app to track
the things you need to get done for the day.

If you walked for 20 minutes instead of 5? Mark your progress. If you wrote two paragraphs
towards your essay? Mark your progress. If you watched an educational TikTok video that
offered you good advice instead of a brain rot video? Mark that advice down. Tracking your
progress through your calendar or your notes app should be about evidence of effort,
showing that you’re trying to change and better yourself.

It may also help you to think about seasonal goals rather than daily goals. Daily goals may
sometimes cause you to feel bad if you accidentally skip one day. Instead, think seasonally,
especially when it comes to your mental health. For example, in the winter focus on your
comfort and your happiness, especially because it’s colder during this season, and especially
because YorkTest had found that 1 in 3 people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder
during the winter. Try journaling once a week to document how you’re feeling or try
experimenting with one new hobby, or watching a comfort show. A spring seasonal goal
could be to take more walks in nature, which is both good for mental health and for staying
active, and it can help you to absorb the world around you. It is also important to reward
yourself for hitting goals, even if the goals are small. Got through a tough week? Treat
yourself to a cozy evening with your favourite show. Hit a personal milestone? Splurge on a

fancy coffee or a new gadget. If you simply survived January? Order an end-of-month
takeaway. Having a reward system keeps you motivated without requiring extra energy, as
you’ll have something to look forward to whilst you’re reaching towards your goals.
One thing that I think is underrated when it comes to setting goals is to embrace the power
of quitting. It may sound ironic, but one of the most liberating aspects of a prospectus is
that it encourages quitting things that don’t feel right to you, and continuing things that do
feel right. Not every goal will be worth pursuing, and that’s okay. If something feels like too
much effort or if that thing doesn’t make you happier, drop it if it doesn’t serve you in any
way.

So, if you’ve struggled with resolutions in the past, why not give baby steps into reaching
your goals a try? Not everyone has to move at the same speed; 2025 could be your year of
slow but steady progress, and you will definitely be able to have a better and more
productive year, without ever waking up at 5 AM. Give yourself a pat on the back because
you’ve made it this far.